Ian Rippin, CEO of MCS, highlights significant increases in certified heat pump installations and the rising popularity of battery storage, reflecting growing consumer confidence in renewable technologies. Supported by various government initiatives, these trends underscore a shifting energy landscape where low-carbon solutions are becoming more mainstream across the UK.
Ian Rippin, CEO at MCS, said: “The latest data shows the heat pump market continues to go from strength to strength. There were 4,508 certified heat pump installations in March alone, making it the second-best month in the scheme’s history. Looking at the first quarter as a whole, we’ve seen a 30% increase in average monthly heat pump installations compared with 2023 – which was the best year ever for the technology.
Battery storage on the rise
“This shows that homeowner confidence in renewable heating is growing, and as more consumers take advantage of government initiatives – such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, ECO4, Home Energy Scotland, VAT reduction on battery storage, and many more – expect to keep seeing these high numbers.
“The data also shows that battery storage installations are on the rise, with March exceeding 1,000 installations for just the second month ever and marking a 707% increase on the total for March 2023.
“As consumers become more aware of the benefits of installing battery storage alongside solar PV (both for lowering energy bills and for selling surplus electricity back to the grid), this is a technology that is going to become increasingly commonplace.
“Finally, March also saw the Isle of Anglesey become the fourth local authority to exceed a 20% uptake in renewables. It means that 1 in 5 households now have an MCS installation on the island, putting it alongside Orkney (28%), Western Isles (25%) and Ceredigion (23%) as the regions with the highest proportion of homegrown energy.”
For near-real-time dynamic visualisations of the uptake of small-scale renewable technologies across the UK, view the MCS Data Dashboard here.